Accessing genomic information: alternatives to PCR

The growing abundance of genomic sequence data invites increasingly large-scale genetic analyses. Studies of genetic variation in large sets of genes can illuminate important disease mechanisms and serve to identify novel drug targets or predict therapeutic responses. At present mostly a concern in extensive research projects, large-scale genetic analyses will gradually also find their way into clinical practice as an aid to the physician. It is timely, therefore, to take stock of methods that are becoming available for analyses of large sets of gene sequences. Clearly PCR remains the workhorse for molecular genetic analysis, and several modifications such as homogenous amplification assays and parallel detection on DNA microarrays further increase throughput. Recent developments, however, also offer hope that other methods will become available for genomic investigations, providing substantially increased analytical capacity.